Milestones

Click on the years in blue to go directly to the events for that year.

1990

icon_scientificRelease of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) First Assessment, supported the establishment of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in Rio in 1992.

1992

icon_uncffAt first Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro, UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) was adopted established key elements for agreements moving forward:

  • Goal to avoid dangerous anthropogenic interference with the climate system (Art 2)
  • Established principle of common but differentiated responsibilities, with developed countries agreeing to taking action first (Article 3)
  • Developed countries shall provide additional financial resources for mitigation and adaptation, and transfer of technology(Art 4.3,4.4, 4.5)
  • Develop countries make voluntary commitment to return emissions to 1990 levels by 2000. (Art 4.2(a) &(b))

President H.W. Bush Attended Rio Summit, with U.S. rejecting efforts to make UNFCCC targets legally binding.

icon_otherU.S. Senate Ratifies UNFCCC, becoming first country to do so.

1995

icon_uncffEntry into force of UNFCCC, first Conference of Parties (COP-1) in Berlin.

  • First review of commitments under UNFCCC found to be inadequate to meet Article 2 objective. Adopted Berlin Mandate, which launches two year negotiations to adopt new binding instrument to reduce emissions.

icon_scientificIPCC Second Assessment Report released.

  • Identifies “discernable human influence on climate system.” Significantly strengthens analysis of 1st Assessment, focuses on impact of C02 doubling, and need for action in next 10-20 years to avoid doubling.

1997

icon_uncffCOP3-Kyoto: Kyoto Protocol adopted, with developed countries committing to overall reduction of 6 greenhouse gases by average of 5.2% below 1990 levels between 2008-12.

icon_otherJuly: U.S. Senate passes Byrd-Hagel resolution, indicating the U.S. should not sign on to the Kyoto Protocol if it did not include binding commitments for major developing countries.

icon_otherPre-Kyoto Targets by key parties:

  • EU: -15% by 2010, 7.5 by 2005
  • AOSIS: 20% by 2005

2000

icon_uncffCOP-6: The Hague, Netherlands. Negotiations on the package of agreements necessary on the operation of the Kyoto Protocol, particularly with regard to carbon sinks from land and agricultural activity would be incorporated into the Kyoto Carbon markets broke largely due to impasse between the US and the EU. No agreement was reached, and meeting was suspended until extraordinary session, COP-6bis.

2001

icon_uncffCOP6-bis: Continuation of COP-6. Despite withdrawal of U.S. from Kyoto Protocol, countries renew commitment to maintain international regime, and reach political agreement for rules of Kyoto Protocol to be ratified by parties, which were finalized in Marrakech at COP-7.

icon_scientificIPCC Third Assessment Report released, finding:

  • There is new and stronger evidence that most of the observed warming over the last 50 years is attributable to human activities
  • Projected increase in temperature over the next century has increased from a range of 1 – 3.5° C in the IPCC’s Second Assessment Report, to 1.4 – 5.8°C.

icon_otherMarch: United States withdraws from Kyoto Protocol: President George W. Bush claims Kyoto Protocol fatally flawed, due to exemption of developing countries.

icon_uncffCOP-7 Marrakech: Marrakech Accords adopted, finalizing operating rules for Kyoto Protocol and flexibility mechanisms, paving way for ratification phase.

2005

icon_uncffFebruary 16th, Kyoto Protocol enters into force, following submission of instruments of ratification by the Russian Federation.

icon_uncffCOP11/First Meeting of Parties(MOP) of Kyoto Protocol, Montreal. Establishes negotiating body (Ad-Hoc Working Group on Kyoto Protocol (AWG-KP)to consider further commitments by Annex I parties, as required by Article 3.9 of Kyoto Protocol. U.S. walks out of negotiations over objection Also establishes “Dialogue” track, to discuss long-term cooperation under UNFCCC, despite U.S. walkout in attempt to block discussion of a new international agreement.

icon_otherEU Heads of Government agree that 2°C global temperature change is threshold that should not be exceeded.

icon_otherG8 Gleneagles Summit, U.K. Prime Minister fails to gain significant concessions from Bush administration on climate, including acknowledging human activity is largely to blame for current warming, though a new round of dialog was agreed to.

2007

icon_uncffCOP13/MOP3: Bali Indonesia. Significant shift in tenor of negotiations, particularly among developing countries, agreeing to move forward under the Bali Road Map, including the Bali Action Plan, which outlines the basis of new negotiation to culminate in Copenhagen at COP15. A two-track negotiation process was defined:

  1. Kyoto Protocol Track: continuing to move forward under the AWG-KP, to agree on developed country emissions targets by 2009, and means to achieve targets.
  2. The Convention (UNFCCC) Track: establishment of Ad How Working Group on Long Term Cooperative Action, to build on the discussion initiated under the Dialogue process under the UNFCCC. To focus on four building blocks: mitigation, adaptation, technology, and financing, including mitigation commitments from developed countries, mitigation actions by developing countries, and reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degredation (REDD).

icon_scientificIPCC Fourth Assessment Report released, key findings include:

  • “Warming of the climate system is unequivocal.”
  • “Most of the observed increase in global average temperatures since the mid-20th century is very likely due to the observed increase in anthropogenic greenhouse gas concentrations.
  • Range of projected temperature increase is 2 to 11.5 degrees Fahrenheit (1.1 to 6.4 degrees Celsius) by the end of the century.

2008

icon_otherDec: EU Energy & Climate Package adopted by European Parliament, establishes -20% target by 2020.

2009

icon_uncffJune:

  • AWG-LCA: Tabling of negotiating text by Chair, approximately 200 pages in length.
  • AWG-KP: Discussion of proposal for aggregate targets for Annex I and individual country targets.

icon_scientificApril: Publication of influential paper in scientific journal Nature, analyzing probability of staying within 2°C temperature change given range of reduction targets.

icon_otherMajor Economies Forum (MEF)—relaunched by U.S. under Obama administration, to facilitate dialogue outside of official UN negotiations Agreement on need for staying within 2°C total temperature change

icon_otherG8 Meeting: Agreement on goal of reducing emissions 80% by 2050 among developed countries.

icon_otherUN High Level Event on Climate Change: Hosted by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon for Heads of State.